Rescue vest with rollers

ABSTRACT

A rescue vest has a spaced apart pair of vertical tracks attached to the front, each track having an inline array of wheels or alternate roller track. A lower front vest extension has an additional pair of tracks below the waist each with wheels or a roller track aligned with the tracks above the waist. Side spaces between a front and back vest portions accommodate equipment carried on the hip of the wearer. Shoulder spaces and a front opening allow attachment of safety lines to a harness worn under the vest.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to safety and rescue equipment and in particular to a safety and rescue vest having wheels or a rolling track built into a front of the vest to facilitate ease of movement through confined spaces which normally require a crawling movement.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Performing rescue operations or work duties, such as welding or repairs, or having to utilize a confined access to another space requiring a person to move through a very confined space, such as a concrete pipe which might be only 18 or 24 inches in diameter, normally requires a crawling movement with very limited propulsion through the space by moving fingers and toes or hands and feet depending on the degree of confinement.

[0005] Moving through a corrugated pipe or a pipe filled with debris further exacerbates the problem by creating more friction and obstacles to movement.

[0006] Very little attention has been paid to this problem which may be faced by fire rescue workers or pipe workers on a regular basis. Most safety and rescue clothing provides protection for the body but does not facilitate movement.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,959, issued Mar. 1, 1994 to Beeley, et al., illustrates an invention related to emergency transportation of more than one infant at a time by one rescue person. A plurality of pockets are located on the front and back of the rescue vest garment. The pockets each contain a seat over which the infant straddles and a ventilation structure through which the infant breathes toward the rescue person. A pocket flap further shields the transported infant.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,256,789, issued Jul. 10, 2001 to Young, et al., puts forth a combination clothing/safety harness for fall arresting and rescue from confined spaces provides the advantages of ease of use, distribution of forces over a wide surface area, protection of the harness portion, and ease of enforcing regulations that the harness be worn. The safety harness may be attached to various articles of clothing, such as a jacket, vest, overalls, or coveralls, so that donning the article of clothing automatically positions the harness for use. The harness may be used by employees working at dangerous heights or in confined spaces, or by hunters using tree stands. Combination clothing/safety harness systems can be made to meet OSHA requirements.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,788, issued Jun. 10, 1986 to Larry Miller, concerns a rescue vest provided with a pocket extending along the spine area in the back of the vest. A thin, flat, elongated stiffener is removably positioned in the pocket and a head support and protector is removably positioned on the upper end of the stiffener. The vest can be positioned on and strapped to a person's torso, with the stiffener being used to immobilize the person's spine and neck. The vest may be positioned on the person without the stiffener and the stiffener then inserted into the vest. Groin straps attached to the lower portion of the vest enable a person to be lifted by means of the vest. Thus, without the stiffener, the vest may be used for lifting or lowering a rescuer.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,517, issued Oct. 26, 1999 to Omar P. Jordan, discloses a harness assembly having an integral support line. The harness assembly includes a harness body having first and second ends and a hollow interior which receives the support line. The support line has first and second ends that extend from the harness body. The harness is secured within a garment. The garment has a front opening which is normally covered by a releasable flap. The first and second ends of the support line extend through the front opening and are accessible when the flap is moved to an open position. The first end of the support line may be pulled away from the harness to extend the support line therefrom. The second end of the support line is secured to the harness.

[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,342, issued May 16, 2000 to Dale Dobson, describes a rescue device for assisting in removing an individual from a confined space comprises a sheet having a first end with one or more through apertures and a sheet section extending from the first end having one or more through apertures and a securing device for securing the sheet section and the first end together. The sheet section is adapted to curl around so as to selectively bring a through aperture of the sheet section adjacent to a through aperture of the first end thereby to form an enclosure of a selective dimension. The securing device secures the sheet section and the first end together when the through aperture of the sheet section is in corresponding arrangement with the through aperture of the first end.

[0012] What is needed is a wearable means to assist people in moving through confined spaces normally requiring a crawling motion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An object of the present invention is to provide a rescue and safety vest with built-in wheels to facilitate the movement of a person through a very confined space normally traversed by crawling.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a rescue and safety vest with a built-in roller track to facilitate the movement of a person through a very confined space having corrugations, debris, or other non-smooth surface or obstacles preventing a rolling motion with wheels.

[0015] One more object of the present invention is to provide a rescue and safety vest with rolling means for confmed spaces which vest also provides openings to facilitate equipment normally carried by the rescue worker and to facilitate attaching safety lines to a harness worn under the vest.

[0016] An additional object of the present invention is to provide a wheeled rescue and safety vest with at least two separate tracks of wheels or roller tracks to permit bending.

[0017] One more object of the present invention is to provide a rescue and safety vest with adjustable straps around the sides and over the shoulders to permit wearing of the vest by people of various sizes and body types.

[0018] In brief, a rescue and safety vest comprises a front panel fitted with two vertical rows of low profile inline wheels, which could be inline skate wheels, spaced apart by about 7 inches or other appropriate distance for different body sizes and types to permit rolling on the wheels by a person wearing the vest inside a confined space such as a concrete pipe.

[0019] The wheels are on rigid frames attached to the vest by rivets or other attaching means through holes in the frames and through the rugged material of the vest, which could be canvas or leather or other rugged material. Two spaced rows of inline wheels each row having several inline wheels, preferably three, are mounted on a frame approximately 10 inches long on a top front portion of the vest corresponding to the upper torso. A separate pair of frames is attached to the bottom front of the vest over a upper legs or thighs of the wearer, which may be a single wheel on each frame on each side with each frame in line with one of the upper rows of wheels and spaced apart from the upper frames, so that the wearer gets maximum rolling capability on the torso and upper legs or thighs while being free to bend in a normal fashion due to the separation between the upper and lower frames which separation is located in line with the waist of the wearer.

[0020] The wheels may be removable from the frame and replaceable by a rolling track, similar to a tank track but with a rubber track, for movement through corrugated pipes, or spaces with debris or other rough surfaces which would not allow wheels to roll.

[0021] A front vest portion is separate from a back vest portion with space between the front and back at both the top over the shoulders to accommodate access to harness straps over the shoulders and down the sides to accommodate a hip air pack and other apparatus carried by rescue workers. Adjustable straps over the shoulders and on the sides adjustably interconnect the front and back to fit people of different sizes and shapes.

[0022] An opening in the front center of the vest between wheel rows allows safety straps to attach to a body harness worn by the rescue worker.

[0023] An advantage of the present invention is that people can move more easily through confined spaces by rolling rather than crawling.

[0024] Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides easier movement through confined spaces while still allowing normal functioning and normal access to equipment.

[0025] An additional advantage of the present invention is that it is adaptable to work in confined spaces having smooth surfaces or irregular surfaces or debris.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] These and other details of my invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention, and in which drawings:

[0027]FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the rescue vest with rollers showing the adjustable straps aligned for connecting;

[0028]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the upper and lower tracks supporting the wheels;

[0029]FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the wheel frames with wheels mounted thereon;

[0030]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the frames with roller tracks mounted thereon.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYNG OUT THE INVENTION

[0031] In FIG. 1, a rolling rescue garment device 20 assists a wearer, such as a rescue worker, in moving through confined spaces, such as concrete pipes.

[0032] A front garment portion or front vest portion 21 fits over the front torso of the wearer, and has a low profile rolling means, namely inline wheels 22, attached to and protruding forward therefrom a sufficient amount to facilitate a rolling movement of the wearer along an external surface on the rolling means with the torso of the wearer spaced apart from the surface.

[0033] An adjustable means of attaching the front garment portion or front vest portion 21 to the body of the wearer comprises a back vest portion (not shown) and at least one shoulder strap 28 over each should and at least one side strap 23 at each side interconnecting the front vest portion and the back vest portion with an adjustable connecting means, such as rings 29.

[0034] The front vest portion 21 and the back vest portion (not shown) are spaced apart on the sides to accommodate equipment carried on the hips of the wearer and spaced apart on the shoulders to accommodate safety lines attachable to the body harness at the shoulders. A front opening area 19 between the wheel tracks, which could be a double opening similar in shape to the double opening in the upper frame 26A accommodates safety lines attachable to the body harness in the front.

[0035] In FIGS. 2 and 3 the low profile rolling means comprises a spaced pair of tracks 26A, which may be interconnected by cross members, attached to the front garment portion 21 by rivets or other connecting means through frame rivet holes 27. Each of the pair of tracks has a vertical inline rolling means, such as a set of inline wheels 22 which may be a set of inline skate wheels each rotatably attached by axle means to the tracks.

[0036] In FIG. 4 the inline rolling means comprises a roller track 30 having an outer belt loop 31 around roller track wheels 32 rotatably attached to the frame to permit rolling inside corrugated pipes or over debris or other situations preventing the use of wheels.

[0037] In FIG. 1 a lower garment extension 25 of the front garment portion or front vest 21 extends below a waist of the wearer and a second set of tracks 26B each having a rolling means, such as wheels 22, is attached to the lower garment extension 26B in line with and spaced apart from the upper tracks 26A to facilitate rolling support of the upper legs or thighs of the wearer while still allowing bending at the waist.

[0038] It is understood that the preceding description is given merely by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention and that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A rolling rescue garment device to assist a wearer in moving through confined spaces, the device comprising: a front garment portion over the front torso of the wearer, the front garment portion having a low profile rolling means attached to and protruding forward therefrom a sufficient amount to facilitate a rolling movement of the wearer along an external surface on the rolling means with the torso of the wearer spaced apart from the surface; an adjustable means of attaching the front garment portion to the body of the wearer.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein the low profile rolling means comprises a spaced pair of tracks attached to the front garment portion, each of the pair of tracks having a vertical inline rolling means.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein the inline rolling means comprises a series of inline wheels each rotatably attached to the frame.
 4. The device of claim 2 wherein the inline rolling means comprises a roller track rotatably attached to the frame.
 5. The device of claim 2 further comprising a lower garment extension of the front garment portion extending below a waist of the wearer and a second set of tracks each having a rolling means attached to the lower garment extension in line with and spaced apart from the upper tracks to facilitate rolling support of the abdomen of the wearer while still allowing bending at the waist.
 6. The device of claim 2 wherein the front garment comprises a front vest portion and the adjustable attaching means comprises a back vest portion and at least one strap over each should and at least one strap at each side interconnecting the front vest portion and the back vest portion with an adjustable connecting means.
 7. The device of claim 6 wherein the front vest portion and the back vest portion are spaced apart on the sides to accommodate equipment carried on the hips of the wearer.
 8. The device of claim 6 wherein the wearer is wearing a safety harness under the rescue vest and the front vest portion and the back vest portion are spaced apart on the shoulders to accommodate safety lines attachable to the harness at the shoulders.
 9. The device of claim 6 wherein the wearer is wearing a safety harness under the rescue vest and the front vest portion is provided with a central opening therethrough to accommodate a safety line attachable to the harness on the front torso. 